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Toyota Corolla Altis 2.0V – Malaysian Spec Test Drive

September 22, 2010 at 1:28 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Test Drive Reviews, Toyota

The facelifted Toyota Corolla Altis will be officially launched tomorrow (23 September) and if you missed our previous posts, here’s the lowdown. A new ZR range of Dual VVT-i engines are now in place, and there’s a 2.0-litre range topper to join the 1.8 and 1.6. The new engines will be paired to another first for the Altis – a CVT gearbox with seven virtual ratios in manual mode (except the 1.6, which soldiers on with a 4-speed auto).

We’ve driven it already, when Toyota Asia Pacific organised a regional media drive for the new car at the Sepang circuit. And while we had a decent first impression, there’s only so much you can experience in a few runs, on a circuit. So here’s a more detailed review of the new Altis, in the exact same spec that will be launched in Malaysia.

Continue reading the report after the jump.
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Volkswagen Group Malaysia: CKD models will not include variants currently sold here

September 21, 2010 at 7:29 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Local News, Volkswagen

There has been much excitement, and speculation, since the announcement that Volkswagen has signed an MoU with DRB-Hicom to locally assemble cars at the latter’s Pekan plant. Everyone has their guesses (some incredibly sure) on the identity of the three models, but thanks to a statement from Volkswagen Group Malaysia (VGM), we now know that the list WILL NOT include models currently sold in Malaysia. Here’s the verbatim press statement:

Following the announcement in August on the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DRB-HICOM Berhad to collaborate on local assembly, Volkswagen would like to reiterate the content of the MoU that both parties are still in the early stage of investigating local vehicle assembly. The joint plans envisage the production of Volkswagen models in Malaysia from 2012 onwards.

The matter is still under negotiations and as a policy, Volkswagen will not comment on ongoing discussions. Suffice it to say, the models / variants in negotiations to be locally assembled will not be the models which are currently offered in Malaysia.

VGM’s current range consists of the five-door Polo 1.2 TSI, New Beetle, Golf 1.4 TSI, Scirocco (160 PS/210 PS), Golf GTI, Passat CC, Eos, Tiguan and Touareg V6 SUV.

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Not the S1: Paris bound hot Audi A1 is just called 1.4 TFSI

September 21, 2010 at 6:16 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Audi, Cars, International News


Click to enlarge

Looks like the range topping Audi A1 that’s set for its debut at Paris isn’t the “S1″ as rumoured, but a more humbly named A1 1.4 TFSI. So no hot name, but the ingredients to rival the Mini Cooper S are there – the 1.4 TFSI uses a Twincharged engine with a dual-clutch gearbox to crack 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds on to a 227 km/h top speed, which is a lot of performance for such a small car.

The 1.4-litre engine utilises a supercharger and a turbocharger to produce 185 bhp and 250 Nm of torque here, which is more than what it makes in the VW Golf TSI. The supercharger springs into action at 1,500 rpm and in most situations is disengaged at 2,400 rpm. From 3,500 rpm at the latest, the turbocharger takes over. Because it doesn’t have to do as much work at low revs, the VW Group was able to use a large turbo and design it for high efficiency. With the 7-speed S tronic box, this A1 uses just 5.9 litres of fuel per 100 km (combined).

The McPherson strut front and rear torsion beam suspension is maintained, but the 1.4 TFSI gets separate springs and dampers plus bigger brake discs. Its ESP stabilisation program comes with an electronic limited slip differential that detects an impending loss of traction at the inside wheel in hard cornering, and brakes that wheel for better handling.

View live and official pics of the Audi A1 here.

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Limited edition Porsche 911 Speedster – only 356 copies

September 21, 2010 at 4:50 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Porsche

Joining the 911 Carrera GTS on the Paris show debut list is this, the Porsche 911 Speedster. Paying homage to the first Porsche model that bore the Speedster name – the 356 Speedster from 1953 – the production run for this new model is limited to 356 units.

The Speedster idea came from Porsche Exclusive, the division specialising in individualisation and small series runs, and this car heralds its 25th anniversary that will be celebrated next year. PE’s previous creation was the 911 Sport Classic from 2009.

The Speedster differs from the standard 911 by having a 60 mm lower ride height, more raked windscreen, flat contour of the manual hood and the characteristic double-bubble hardcover for the soft top. Like the Carrera GTS, the RWD Speedster gets the 44 mm wider rear end of the 4WD models. Porsche says that it has further improved the rollover protection system especially for this model.

Like the GTS, Speedster is powered by a 3.8-litre flat six with 408 hp and 420 Nm, 23 hp more than a Carrera S but no less efficient. 0-100 km/h is done in 4.6 seconds. The seven-speed PDK gearbox is in charge of transmitting power to the rear axle (fitted with a standard differential lock). Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) and Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB) are standard.

The Speedster features almost all optional equipment in the 911 series and has exclusive black smooth finish leather and exterior colour painted details. These include checkerboard patterns on the seat centre with leather side bolsters in exterior colour. By the way, the exclusive colour for the Speedster is “Pure Blue” as shown here (white is a no cost option, but why?), which contrasts with the tinted front lights, black headlight rings and windscreen surround. There are also special front/rear aprons and specific sideskirts.

More pics after the jump.
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Kimi wins his first rally, F1 return won’t be a walk-through

September 21, 2010 at 3:40 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Formula 1, Motorsports, Renault

Kimi Raikkonen has won his first ever rally with the Citroen Junior Team, finishing tops at the Rallye Vosgien which happened over the weekend. The ex-F1 champ and his Citroen C4 WRC was unbeaten on all six stages at the national-level French event.

It was held in the Strasbourg area, which is close to where the Rally of France, the next round of the WRC, will be held. “This was a good preparation for the Rally of France. From what I am told, the roads on this event were fairly representative of what we will see on the next WRC round, so I am happy. It’s also good to get back into driving the car on asphalt – that’s very useful as well,” said the Iceman. The Citroen Junior Team is unable to test ahead of the Rally of France having pre-assigned all of its 15 test days, so it the outing was fruitful.

On the Finn’s return to F1 via Renault, whether it goes through or not boils down to commercial reasons. While having Kimi on board will boost the team’s chances to fight for the title, Vitaly Petrov brings sponsorship money from his homeland and is a “window to Russia” for the brand.

“It’s very important (financial considerations). As I said, we use Formula 1, and we have to push our team to succeed because we use the platform to do business. And you know, it’s a question of image,” team chairman Gerard Lopez told Autosport.

“It’s not that Vitaly is a paying driver, because he’s not, but certainly the sponsors that he brought or that came, which is Lada, have been very good sponsors. And he’s a good driver. Vitaly was second in the GP2 championship last year and could easily have won that championship if he hadn’t had six failures last year.

“On top of all that, he is a driver that has 250 million Russian-speaking people that are convinced in him, so we’d be stupid not to assume that there is a business behind that. But we have to build the driver. He is to us a very important element, just as Robert is,” Lopez added.

Raikkonen vs Petrov is an easy choice if only talent is taken into account, but F1 is a business at the end of the day, which is why it won’t be that straightforward. Let’s see who prevails.

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Ex-Perodua MD Datuk Syed Hafiz is now COO at Naza Kia

September 21, 2010 at 2:07 pm By Harvinder Sidhu Filed Under Cars, Kia, Koreans, Local News, Naza

Naza Kia has announced that Datuk Syed Abdull Hafiz Syed Abu Bakar has been appointed as the company’s new chief operating officer. Syed Hafiz’ role in Naza Kia will commence on October 1st this year and he will replace Datuk Syed Hisham Syed Wazir who left the company at the end of August to join UMW Holdings Bhd as its president and CEO.

Syed Hafiz was formerly attached with Perodua as the company’s managing director. He left his 5-year career at Perodua late last year and gave way to Tuan Haji Aminar Rashid Salleh, former head of UMW Toyota’s Strategic Marketing Group. Syed Hafiz has spent a total of 10 years in various capacities at the UMW group.

SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin, joint group executive chairman of the Naza Group of Companies said, “Datuk Syed Hafiz brings with him a vast wealth of experience and hands-on knowledge that will bring the Kia brand to the next level in Malaysia.”

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Chevrolet to kick-start 201hp electric Cruze demo fleet

September 21, 2010 at 1:13 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Chevrolet, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

Chevrolet wants a piece of the EV action, as they have recently announced their plans of building a demonstration fleet of electrified Chevrolet Cruzes towards the end of October. Powering the Cruze EV will be a 150kw/201hp electric motor with a 31-kWh battery that is mounted under the body. This accelerates the EV to 100km/h in a not-too-bad 8.2 seconds, going on to reach a top speed of 165km/h.

The car will have a range of 160 kilometers and it can be recharged using a standard 220-volt socket in 8 to 10 hours. There will also be an option of a “quick charge” system, but this is one of those things that are in the development phase. Testing and development will begin in Seoul, South Korea before moving on to other markets. Demo vehicles will use Daewoo Lacetti and Chevrolet Cruze bodies, which will collect data on things like real world driving and the public’s acceptance on electric vehicles.

General Motors’ Cruze EV project is a joint-venture with GM Daewoo, LG Chem and LG Electronics. LG Chem will supply the batteries while LG Electronics are responsible for the electric motors and inverters. GM has previously worked with LG Chem before in the development of the Chevrolet Volt in 2008. Hopefully this project will be more successful than the Volt hybrid project that suffered changes, increasing the car’s fuel consumption.

“Although there is much more work to be done, our ability to develop this vehicle in less than a year offers a peek at the very promising plans we have for our customers in Korea and around the world,” said Mike Arcamone, GM Daewoo President and CEO.

A set of hi-res pictures are available after the jump.
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Saab 9-3 ePower Sportwagon – Saab’s foray into the EV market

September 21, 2010 at 12:03 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Saab

Saab will be bringing their very own electric vehicle to Paris for the upcoming motor show. Based on the current 9-3 Sportswagon, the 9-3 ePower will be a prototype undergoing extensive trails in Sweeden next year.

This will be made up of 70 vehicles in their test fleet, which will be tested under real world driving conditions. The 9-3 will be motivated by a 135 kW/184 hp electric motor linked to a 35.5 kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

Saab says that this accelerates the car to 100km/h in just 8.5 seconds and it allows the vehicle to reach a top speed of 150km/h. They also expect the car to return a respectable 200 kilometres before it needs to be recharged again. This then takes around 3 to 6 hours to a full recharge, depending on the depletion status.

Recharge times can be reduced by using a higher input voltage, as voltage inputs are not limited. The instrument panel has also been modified to accommodate a new display for the battery status, power consumption and driving range, all illuminated in green.

Saab boasts about the 9-3’s battery capabilities as it can operate at full power in temperatures as low as -30 degrees Celcius, which is 10 degrees below current battery packs today. It is also said to be able to withstand the test of time with a charging cycle equivalent to approximately 10 years of average use.

Along with that, the use of air-cooling instead of a liquid cooling system has lowered the weight of the battery pack. Saab seems to be taking the right steps to make itself a relevant brand in the near future. Expect more from the Trollhattan-based company. Look after the jump for a picture gallery.
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3rd teaser image of Lamborghini’s mystery vehicle

September 21, 2010 at 11:46 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, International News, Lamborghini

Lamborghini has released a third teaser photo that depicts a mystery model ahead of Paris, this time showing us what looks to be the inside dash of the car. This along with the rest of the car makes use of carbon fibre to keep weight down. It is now unclear what Lamborghini’s model line-up would entail as this almost looks like a barebone super light concept car, a far cry from the top-of-the-range Murcielago replacement.

0-60mag has reported that the Audi-owned company may bring two new models to the motor show. They are made up by the Lamborghini LB715-5 and the 83X. According to the website, the former is the Murcielago replacement featuring a V12. The latter could be a Gallardo replacement.

The mystery model teased here is likely a different model or concept all together. Whatever it is you can expect a final reveal in Paris at the end of the month. Previous teasers are available after the jump.

Source
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French brands unite to create Citroen Lacoste Concept

September 21, 2010 at 9:40 am By Jacob Alexander Filed Under Cars, Citroën, Concept Cars

Two French brands have teamed up to make a concept design set for a Paris preview. This will be Lacoste and Citroen with their new Citroen Lacoste Concept.

The car is motivated by a three-cylinder engine, which Citroen says provides “plenty of performance for a vehicle of its weight and size”. This is because its about the size of a Toyota Aygo or Citroen C1 and measures in at about 3.45m long, 1.80m wide and 1.52m high.

As you would expect, design of the car mainly concentrates on the whole Lacoste theme. This is seen on the car which sports “golf ball-styled” set of alloy wheels and parts of the body that resemble tennis nets.

They complement the unique feature roof, which is a structure that extends back to the boot like a convertible Jeep. Adding to that is the door-less architecture that gives it a roomy feel. Check out the picture gallery after the jump.

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